Our Burlington, Our Ward 6 This time I'm determined to win!

Tyandaga Environmental Coalition Burlington‏

Thank you @AngBentivegna Angelo Bentivegna for being the only Ward 6 candidate who would seek to protect against Meridian's deforestation of Tyandaga's #greenbelt. @BlairLancaster and Kinsey Schurm would not respond to @BurlingtonGreen 's question about the quarry expansion.

Twenty-four-year-old sales executive Kinsey Schurm has helped candidates
in provincial and federal races, and portfolio manager Ken White is
working on a CPA accounting designation. Each offers different
strengths.

Bentivegna is very up on current issues, and has been heavily
involved in volunteering and local fundraising.

Schurm is young and
eager, less involved, but is a non-voting member of the cycling
committee.

White brings financial acumen.

Bentivegna is concerned about switches of employment lands to
residential, and keen on seniors' issues.

Schurm wants weekly garbage
pickup.

White questioned the cost of the Joseph Brant Museum expansion,
saying about $750 per square foot is much too costly.

Address error on Voter Information Notice sent to homes in Ward 6

To all Ward 6 residents, please adjust the address on your "Voter Information Notice" that was sent to your home by the City of Burlington, Ontario, regarding the address of St.Paul the Apostle Church. The address is 2265 Headon Road.

( a different
St. Paul's is on Headon Forest road)

I will be asking the Burlington
Elections Officer to insure that other means of Media be used to create
more awareness to this issue!

Joan Little: Spectator Comments on Burlington Election & Candidates

July 27 was the last day to register
in municipal elections, and there are some outstanding candidates in
Burlington’s races. Thank heaven we don’t face Toronto’s chaos!
Five of our seven incumbents are
seeking re-election. Mayor Rick Goldring is challenged by Ward 2 councillor
Marianne Meed Ward. Ward 4’s Jack Dennison, Ward 5’s Paul Sharman, and Ward 6’s
Blair Lancaster are running. One mayoral contender will lose, ensuring three
new faces.
There are four mayoral candidates.
Realtor Mike Wallace, on council from 1994 to 2006, twice, part way through
terms, sought federal office, succeeding in 2006. That meant council had to
fill the vacancy during his term. There’s nothing illegal, but some would say
this shows a lack of commitment for the responsibility he took on. He’s a
formidable candidate though, because of his strong Conservative roots, and
Burlington is blue.
E-commerce business owner Greg
Woodruff ran for Regional Chair in 2014. He seeks the top jobs with no experience,
and last election did not provide literature. How do you hold a politician
accountable when there’s nothing to show what he stands for? Will he distribute
a written mayoral platform? Websites can disappear.
We also elect the Regional Chair.
Incumbent Gary Carr is being challenged by Anne Marsden. Six 2018 contenders
ran in 2014, including Woodruff, who ran for Regional Chair. Jason Boelhouer
ran in Ward 1 and Lisa Cooper in Ward 3. Marsden and Peter Rusin ran for mayor.
(Cooper and Marsden run perennially).

Citizens are active this election
because of some unpopular decisions by council, so turnout will likely exceed
2014’s paltry 34 per cent. (2010’s was 37.6). Debates will be held in every
ward so voters can compare choices.
Check websites and social media to
see how contenders address your issues. Look for prior involvement, and/or
community volunteering. Some offer personal background, some don’t.
Some even lack websites, addresses
or phone numbers. Some don’t live in wards they’re running in, but a few of
these are impressive.

This information was compiled from
observations at city hall and community meetings, websites, and knowledge of
some of them. Real candidates deserve our appreciation for all the time and
money invested, but do your own checking. Have they really been involved all
along, or are some opportunists, seeking a $106,000 paycheque?

The most frequently heard council
criticism is, “nobody listens”. Be heard this time!

Did you know that a pipeline containing jet fuel, and gasoline goes through Ward 6?

Participated in a presentation in AltonVillage with Imperial Sarnia. They will Construct a pipeline from Waterdown, Ontario through the City of Burlington, Ontario ending in Toronto (Finch Terminal) Construction will go through the rural parts of Wards 3 & 6 here in Burlington. Unfortunately, I was the only resident there upon arrival, with 8
Imperial Staff members present. Feel free to contact me for information.

Another tall building across City Hall?

Planning and development committee meeting vote was 5-2 for 17 storey + amenity floor across from City Hall. Marianne Meed Ward & Jack Dennison were not supportive. Final vote will be Monday at Council meeting July 16, 6:30 rm 247.

LaSalle Marina...4 Million Taxpayers Dollars!!! ...Check it out???

At Committee meeting Monday June 4th, a decision was made to move forward on a 4 Million Dollar expense to build a new floating wave break. This preliminary committee vote will not be final untill it is approved by Council later this month. (June 18th)

Here are the "Coles Notes" on the issue:

1-The Marina land at LaSalle Park is owned by the City of Hamilton, and the Pier and water are property of the Hamilton Port Authority.

2-City of Burlington has leased the land for many years at 1 dollar per year.

3-The City of Burlington has tried to negotiate to purchase the land from Hamilton without success.

4-Records show that the lease on the Marina runs out in 2022.

5-Is a NEW lease an option?....not aware at this time, nothing has been made publicly.

6-There are approximately 220 boater at the present time at the marina.

7-Boater slip requests/rentals have been diminishing for many years at LaSalle Marina due to damage to boats caused by high waves etc.. Therefore some boaters have moved on...to places that provide better wave break protection.

8-Lasalle Marina has been privately operated for over 25 years.

9- The City is prepared to hand over 4 million taxpayer dollars to the Marina operators/association so they can build a new floating wave-break wall in the near future for their boaters.

10-The repayment of this 4 Million taxpayer dollars will come from (an agreement with the city) a promise to pay something each year....BUT the money will go to a RESERVE FUND...to be held by the City of Burlington over 28 years to build an improved WAVE BREAK WALL! (if accumulated funds that are collected over the 28 years is enough)

11-This discussion has been going on for years between Council, Staff and the Marina Association...actually, a couple years ago in the Council Chambers, the LaSalle Marina Organization said that they didn't and wouldn't need money from the City.

12-The disappointment I have with this Council (during this committee meeting) is that no one asked about the LEASE/ or ownership issue on the property...????

13-I ask the Mayor and each and every Councillor that if they were personally able to loan the funds to the LaSalle Marina Association ...would they actually be agreeable to that kind of repayment schedule?

Does this set a precedent?

We will see what the final VOTE will be at the next Council Meeting-June 18th, 2018.

New online Facility Booking System

Burlington has a new Online Registration and Facility Booking System

Parks and Recreation is in the process of changing our online registration and facility booking system which will be fully implemented in August 2018. The purpose of this email is to provide some initial background information as we are starting to communicate with the public.

Improvements
Some Benefits of the new system include:
• Mobile friendly
• Customers’ ability to manage their accounts online (adding family members, updating contact info)
• Customers’ ability to securely store financial info in their profile for an easier checkout experience

New Logins
New logins (user id’s and passwords) are required for the new system so customers need to update/provide an email address on their RecExpress account by July 15, 2018 in order to interact with our new system online. New logins will be emailed to customers in early August. Customers who do NOT wish to provide an email address, will still be able to transact with us at any one of our Customer Service counters; they can visit burlington.ca/play for more information.

Customers can update their email address by calling 905-335-7720 or emailing registrations@burlington.ca.

Communications
The City will be communicating directly with user groups and providing extra support at the Seniors’ Centre as well as using a variety of communication tactics including social media, traditional media, newsletters, in-person and an FAQ online at burlington.ca/registration to help with the transition to the new system.

The City is looking forward to a smooth transition to the new online registration and facility booking system.

2018 Budget 4.5% .....recorded vote

Approve the 2018 operating budget as amended by the Committee of the Whole – Budget with a resulting net tax levy amount of $160,103,941; and
Add five additional transit operators at a cost of $372,424; and
Add holiday service on December 25 and January 1 where there is currently no transit service at a cost of $20,600;and
Approve financial support in 2018 to Friends of Freeman Station
to support their fundraising campaign by providing matching funds on a
dollar for dollar basis up to $50,000 to be funded from the Tax Rate
Stabilization Reserve Fund.

Quick Facts about the Joseph Brant Museum Transformation
Total square footage of expanded site: 17,000 square feet
Construction will take 18 months, depending on weather
The total project amount is approved at about $11 million, which includes a contingency fund and allows for cost increases due to a winter construction period. Funding includes:
$2.9 million from the City of Burlington
$4.5 million from the Government of Canada
$1.5 million from the Province of Ontario
$2.5 million from the Joseph Brant Museum Foundation
The museum has 25,000 artifacts and receives about 18,000 visitors a year. The new space will meet all the display and security criteria to attract national travelling exhibits.

Colaboration..how can anything get done.

It is in every citizen in Burlington's best interest to watch the very 1st Council meeting after the election of 2014. The true character and mindset of our elected Councilors will be with us till the next election in 2018!

I find that the conduct of some Councilors were immature, not collaborative, and simply childish. That is why our City needs change.

If you don't wish to watch the complete inaugural Dec.2014 Council session...pay very close attention from the 41.00 minute mark through the 59.59 minute mark. Is this the kind of Councilors we want running our City?

New Courthouse in Burlington

The City of Burlington, on behalf of its partners, Halton Region, the Town of Oakville, the Town of Milton and the Town of Halton Hills, has announced a new Provincial Offences Act courthouse to be built to house Halton Court Services.

The new courthouse will be built at 4085 Palladium Way in Burlington to serve the people of Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville.

Highway Traffic Act offences, such as speeding, driving without insurance or failing to stop at a red light

Municipal bylaw offences, such as excessive noise, animal control or garbage disposal

Offences under provincial legislation such as the Environmental Protection Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Dog Owners’ Liability Act or the Trespass to Property Act.

As a division of the City of Burlington’s Legal Department, Halton Court Services administers Provincial Offences Act court services on behalf of the municipal partnership within the Halton area through two locations: one in Burlington and one in Milton. These two existing courts for provincial offences will relocate to 4085 Palladium Way once the new courthouse is built.

Construction will begin in spring or summer 2017 and be completed by January 2019.

No violence-related, criminal charges or family law matters will be handled at the courthouse.

The Milton and Burlington court service locations are 16,000 square feet (1,486 square metres) combined. The new facility, at 34,000 square feet (3,159 square metres), will meet today’s needs more effectively and will help Halton Court Services plan 30 years into the future.

When completed, the courthouse will operate Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Architect’s Description of the Courthouse Design

The new courthouse is designed by the Ventin Group Ltd. to capture the changing and evolving landscape of Halton Region in the design. The natural environment is echoed in the design through the selection of landscape materials.

The north half of the building is a stone wall, reflecting the strong and secure Niagara Escarpment.

The south half is a glass wall, symbolic of transparency—a virtue and goal for the justice system. The glass wall is lined with a series of wooden pillars representing the natural woodlands of Halton Region.

The glass walls facing east and west are treated with wavy, coloured glazing to represent the character and motion of the local creeks.

The thin, white roof canopy captures a thin blanket of snow overhanging to the south to provide sun shading for the glass—appropriate for a Canadian institution.

The new courthouse will be a dignified building, timeless in design, welcoming to the public and comfortable for all staff using the facility.

Mayor Goldring...drew line in the sand!

Tonight's news release from the City of Burlington:City of Burlington Council approves report giving staff authority to legally enforce site alteration by-law against BurlingtonAt its meeting on Monday, April 20, 2015, Burlington City Council approved a confidential report giving City of Burlington staff full authority to legally enforce the requirements of city site alteration by-law 64-2014 against Burlington Airpark Inc. The Burlington Executive Airpark was given 30 days, from March 20, 2015, to comply with the by-law after months of discussion between officials at the city and the Airpark failed to produce the required application. Further legal proceedings will be commenced to compel the Airpark to comply with the city’s site alteration by-law and file the required application for a permit.The City of Burlington site alteration by-law 64-2014 regulates the placing, dumping, cutting and removal of fill or the alteration of grades or drainage on a piece of land. Individuals undertaking this type of work are first required to submit an application to the city for a site alteration permit.The Burlington Airpark Inc. has not submitted an application for a site alteration permit for the areas of the Airpark property where substantial quantities of fill were deposited between 2009 to 2014.“The Burlington Airpark continues to be of great interest to the residents of Burlington,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “The requirements set out in Burlington’s site alteration by-law are necessary to help regulate impacts to the environment and drainage patterns.”TimelineJuly 4, 2013 - The City of Burlington moved forward with a legal strategy to address concerns regarding noise and fill activities related to construction at the Burlington Airpark on Bell School Line.July 18, 2013 – The Burlington Airpark serves the City of Burlington with an application to take the city to court and seeks a court order to declare the city’s site alteration by-law does not apply to the airport’s operations and construction of aerodrome facilities.July 29, 2013 - The City of Burlington and the Burlington Airpark reach a settlement to stop fill operations at the airpark until a decision is made by the courts about whether the city has jurisdiction to regulate fill operations through its site alteration by-law.Nov. 13, 2013 - A Milton Superior Court rules the City of Burlington’s site alteration by-law applies to the Burlington Airpark.June 11, 2014 - The Court of Appeal for Ontario upholds the decision of the Milton Superior Court that the City of Burlington's site alteration by-law applies to the Burlington Airpark.For more information about the city and the Burlington Executive Airpark, visit www.burlington.ca/airpark.

MOTHER'S DAY

St. Stephen United Church FUNDRAISER for Joseph Brant Hospital May 9th. Treat mom to a Mother's Day Tea then shop at one of the many Vendors that will have product for sale. Only 2 seatings so get your tickets now so you will not be disappointed

Alton Village parking

Parking pamphlets were sent to homes in the Alton community with a NEW version of the OLD parking regulations. All this without the INPUT of the residences that are the stakeholders.

The City Of Burlington is allowing parking perpendicular to the lay-bys to everyone's surprise again!

Cars are able to have an overhang 30cm onto the road...
last year no perpendicular parking... which totally cleared up parking issues on Thomas
Alton etc... and now they are permitting it again. It was suggested by many last year that it was a safety issue...and NOW it must not be.

Who is driving this agenda and why isn't our ward keeper not communicating what has transpired.

​As always I can be reached via email or phone (as many of you know) to discuss and to help in any way I can.

Thank You

Well, it’s been three years since ‪the committee of ‎Beauty and the Bistro‬ decided to purchase a state of the art digital mammography machine with a biopsy attachment for our hospital at a price tag of 450,000 dollars.

Last night,…almost 700 guests gathered at Leggat Cadillac to witness the completion of this community project.
Here are the amounts raised by this incredible group...creating a cocktail style event each year.

2012= $ 77,000.00

2013= $101,000.00 + $88,000 Leggat Auto Group

2014= $117,000.00 from last night gala

2014= $ balance of shortfall topped up personally by the Sutherland family of Sutherland Homes.

Each of our four neighbourhoods will be relying on one of us to be collaborative, communicative
and successful in dealing with five other councilors and a mayor to achieve results that we deem as Ward 6 priorities.

We also need to ask ourselves….

Who at this table is best to spend 210 million of your tax dollars?

Who at this table has shown
the ability to accomplish goals that have been set out?

I believe history repeats itself.
I believe our past values hold as future values.
I believe selfless people get the job done with help from others.
I believe you can only be successful at what
you do, when you have collaboration and buy in.

Our ward and our city need a change.

We need to change how and where we spend our dollars.
We need to hold departments accountable.
We deserve the biggest bang for our buck

North Burlington Community Fair

North Burlington's Baptist Church will be hosting their annual community fair. The event will be on September 6th 2014 from 11.00am till 3.00pm at 1377 Walker's Line. There will be lots of fun and games for the whole family...see you there!

Don't believe everything you read or hear!

I have recently read and heard that a Council report suggests taxes will be going up....16% over the next 4 years!

Well, this is a very premature way to evaluate the incoming Council...both new and old. There are so many stones to overturn and many new ideas and principles to review. But the key task will be to develop a streamlined process to monitor,react and evaluate the efficiencies of the new "Service Based Budget Program".

The results of this program will create greater success and improved services for our great City. I know that will be my goal.

Culture Days

Mayors views on New St. bike Lanes in 2014

New Street Bike Lanes Study
Posted on July 16, 2014 by Mayor Goldring

I
would like to take this opportunity to discuss with you the rationale
for the initiation of the New Street Bike Lanes’ Study that was recently
supported by Council.
Why should we consider designated bike lanes on New Street?
Since the City of Burlington declared itself as a Sustainable
Development Community in 1990, we have invested in creating vibrant
neighborhoods. To be truly vibrant, neighbourhoods should be designed to
encourage active lifestyles, including walking and cycling. These areas
are often favoured places to live because of lower pollution levels,
less traffic congestion, more parks and public spaces, improved
opportunities for social interaction, and an abundance of healthy
lifestyle choices.
To get to this state, a complete transportation network must be
designed to allow for a healthy and pragmatic balance of cars, public
transit, cyclists, and pedestrians. That network must be safe,
accessible, cater to the varied needs of our community, and be
implemented in a fiscally responsible manner. This balance must meet
current and long-term needs, given the investment required.
Part of defining future needs is learning about the developing trends.

The just-published study conducted by the provincial cycling
coalition group, Share the Road, notes that 32% of Ontarians bike at
least monthly and the majority (54%) want to ride their bicycles more
often, including commuting to work, school, running errands, or even for
light shopping. The survey shows that 68% of respondents state better
bike lanes and infrastructure are keys to increased ridership.
Additional studies conclude that the younger demographic (under 35)
is choosing to cycle more often as a healthy lifestyle choice and that
providing a healthier environment is vital to attracting younger
residents and families to our community, which in turn, sustains and
enriches vibrant neighbourhoods.
But this trend is not exclusively the domain of the younger demographic.
US Federal data also shows that cycling rates among people between
the ages of 60 and 79 are soaring when as recently as the mid 1990’s,
riding a bicycle over the age of 55 was very rare and riding over 75 was
almost unheard of.
This is particularly noteworthy, given Burlington’s young-at-heart
population. In fact, our city has one of the highest proportions of
senior citizens in the GTA.
While it would be simply wrong to predict the demise of cars, people
are looking to cycling, walking, and public transit to augment their
automobiles, either for reasons of health, convenience, or cost (e.g.
parking, gas, etc.).
But therein lies the catch: the lack of infrastructure to support this choice.
Not all bike lanes are created equal
While a line in the pavement dividing cars from cyclists may appear
to be satisfactory at first thought, in reality, it is not because it
does not provide the safety and security of a protected bike lane.
Cyclists who use wider, protected lanes feel safer and, more
importantly, research demonstrates that they truly are safer, which
ultimately protects motorists as well.
A short-cut solution merely goes part way and satisfies no one, which ultimately results in a failure of the undertaking.
This is particularly so when you consider that while current cycling
enthusiasts may “accept” the risk inherent with a sub-par
infrastructure, the broader community, many whom would bike otherwise,
simply will not because of these safety and security fears. In short,
increased cycling will not occur and a reduction may well result
instead.
Multi-Purpose Paths
There are those who ask why cyclists do not use existing multi-purpose paths. There are at least two answers to this question.
First, current or prospective cyclists often want to take direct
routes to their destinations and, much more often than not, these
multi-purpose pathways were never constructed as such. Rather, roadways
were.
More fundamentally, bicycles, in fact, compromise the safety of these
pathways, which are often filled with walkers, strollers, and
roller-bladers.
So is the assurance of a protected bike lane enough to expand ridership?
New research suggests that the answer is “Yes”. A recent study led by
Christopher Monsere of Portland State University released a thorough
analysis of new protected bike lanes in five major U.S. cities. The
researchers videotaped the new lanes, conducted local surveys, and
gathered data on cycling trends to get a full picture of life in these
new corridors — comparing what they found to rider habits before the
protected lanes were installed. They found that ridership increased
anywhere from 21% to 171%. Unquestionably, cycling rates rose on the new
lanes across the board.
In talking with many constituents, my sense is that that most people
are accepting of cyclists and automobile drivers co-existing safely. And
most want to avoid the potential for dangerous situations that the
current infrastructure presents.
This works very well in new areas such as subdivisions where bike
lanes are woven into the design of these neighborhoods. The complexity
comes into play where we have to retrofit long-existing city roads such
as New Street.
I wanted to clarify some misconception that I understand has been
circulating, that the cost of the dedicated bike lanes on New Street is
$2 million. Rather, the incremental cost is $1.2 million, with the
balance of $0.8 million is for the resurfacing that will be done
regardless.
Nonetheless, we all appreciate what is at stake here: the cost. For
this reason, Council did not vote for installing dedicated bike lanes on
New Street at this time. Rather, we voted in favour of directing staff
to conduct an analysis for the viability of dedicated bike lanes.

It is through this platform and the current updating of the city’s
Transportation Master Plan that we invite your voice to be heard so the
best decision can be made.
Thank you for your interest. With Burlington slated to invest over $1
billion in infrastructure in the next 20 years, a true opportunity
exists to plan and to “get it right” when upgrading our city streets.
As always I invite and appreciate hearing your views.Post navigation
← PreviousNext →
New Street Bike Lanes Study
Posted on July 16, 2014 by Mayor Goldring

I
would like to take this opportunity to discuss with you the rationale
for the initiation of the New Street Bike Lanes’ Study that was recently
supported by Council.
Why should we consider designated bike lanes on New Street?
Since the City of Burlington declared itself as a Sustainable
Development Community in 1990, we have invested in creating vibrant
neighborhoods. To be truly vibrant, neighbourhoods should be designed to
encourage active lifestyles, including walking and cycling. These areas
are often favoured places to live because of lower pollution levels,
less traffic congestion, more parks and public spaces, improved
opportunities for social interaction, and an abundance of healthy
lifestyle choices.
To get to this state, a complete transportation network must be
designed to allow for a healthy and pragmatic balance of cars, public
transit, cyclists, and pedestrians. That network must be safe,
accessible, cater to the varied needs of our community, and be
implemented in a fiscally responsible manner. This balance must meet
current and long-term needs, given the investment required.
Part of defining future needs is learning about the developing trends.

The just-published study conducted by the provincial cycling
coalition group, Share the Road, notes that 32% of Ontarians bike at
least monthly and the majority (54%) want to ride their bicycles more
often, including commuting to work, school, running errands, or even for
light shopping. The survey shows that 68% of respondents state better
bike lanes and infrastructure are keys to increased ridership.
Additional studies conclude that the younger demographic (under 35)
is choosing to cycle more often as a healthy lifestyle choice and that
providing a healthier environment is vital to attracting younger
residents and families to our community, which in turn, sustains and
enriches vibrant neighbourhoods.
But this trend is not exclusively the domain of the younger demographic.
US Federal data also shows that cycling rates among people between
the ages of 60 and 79 are soaring when as recently as the mid 1990’s,
riding a bicycle over the age of 55 was very rare and riding over 75 was
almost unheard of.
This is particularly noteworthy, given Burlington’s young-at-heart
population. In fact, our city has one of the highest proportions of
senior citizens in the GTA.
While it would be simply wrong to predict the demise of cars, people
are looking to cycling, walking, and public transit to augment their
automobiles, either for reasons of health, convenience, or cost (e.g.
parking, gas, etc.).
But therein lies the catch: the lack of infrastructure to support this choice.
Not all bike lanes are created equal
While a line in the pavement dividing cars from cyclists may appear
to be satisfactory at first thought, in reality, it is not because it
does not provide the safety and security of a protected bike lane.
Cyclists who use wider, protected lanes feel safer and, more
importantly, research demonstrates that they truly are safer, which
ultimately protects motorists as well.
A short-cut solution merely goes part way and satisfies no one, which ultimately results in a failure of the undertaking.
This is particularly so when you consider that while current cycling
enthusiasts may “accept” the risk inherent with a sub-par
infrastructure, the broader community, many whom would bike otherwise,
simply will not because of these safety and security fears. In short,
increased cycling will not occur and a reduction may well result
instead.
Multi-Purpose Paths
There are those who ask why cyclists do not use existing multi-purpose paths. There are at least two answers to this question.
First, current or prospective cyclists often want to take direct
routes to their destinations and, much more often than not, these
multi-purpose pathways were never constructed as such. Rather, roadways
were.
More fundamentally, bicycles, in fact, compromise the safety of these
pathways, which are often filled with walkers, strollers, and
roller-bladers.
So is the assurance of a protected bike lane enough to expand ridership?
New research suggests that the answer is “Yes”. A recent study led by
Christopher Monsere of Portland State University released a thorough
analysis of new protected bike lanes in five major U.S. cities. The
researchers videotaped the new lanes, conducted local surveys, and
gathered data on cycling trends to get a full picture of life in these
new corridors — comparing what they found to rider habits before the
protected lanes were installed. They found that ridership increased
anywhere from 21% to 171%. Unquestionably, cycling rates rose on the new
lanes across the board.
In talking with many constituents, my sense is that that most people
are accepting of cyclists and automobile drivers co-existing safely. And
most want to avoid the potential for dangerous situations that the
current infrastructure presents.
This works very well in new areas such as subdivisions where bike
lanes are woven into the design of these neighborhoods. The complexity
comes into play where we have to retrofit long-existing city roads such
as New Street.
I wanted to clarify some misconception that I understand has been
circulating, that the cost of the dedicated bike lanes on New Street is
$2 million. Rather, the incremental cost is $1.2 million, with the
balance of $0.8 million is for the resurfacing that will be done
regardless.
Nonetheless, we all appreciate what is at stake here: the cost. For
this reason, Council did not vote for installing dedicated bike lanes on
New Street at this time. Rather, we voted in favour of directing staff
to conduct an analysis for the viability of dedicated bike lanes.

It is through this platform and the current updating of the city’s
Transportation Master Plan that we invite your voice to be heard so the
best decision can be made.
Thank you for your interest. With Burlington slated to invest over $1
billion in infrastructure in the next 20 years, a true opportunity
exists to plan and to “get it right” when upgrading our city streets.
As always I invite and appreciate hearing your views.

Added snow removal for 2014-15

On June 9th Burlington City Council approved more dollars for additional snow clearing services to be introduced during the 2014 and 2015 snow season. The new snow clearing program will include Centennial bikeway, the beachway and all the North Hydro Corridors. Snow will be cleared once a min of 30cm fall and will be plowed within 24 hrs. the understanding is also that parking lay-bys throughout the city will be included.

Haber Rec Centre

A special event

Joelle's Fashion Show Production for Breast Cancer... Featuring breast cancer survivors on the runway...proceeds go towards the purchase of a Digital Mammography machine with a biopsy attachment. You want to be there!

Officially on the job!

Welcome, Patrick Moyle, Burlington's interim city manager. Patrick, was the former CAO of Halton Region and executive director of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Today was his 1st official day on the job.

BEDC

Today's meeting of the whole was very informative...kudos for presentation. Result was a unanimous decision by city council to have BEDC move forward with a plan to incorporate BEDC. The catch is... the proposal lacks some key elements and council wants BEDC to come back with answers to the measurable guidelines and accountability questions as well as procedures to engage residences.

Agenda tomorrow

Committee of the Whole Meeting

Date of Meeting: April 17, 2014

Place of Meeting: Council Chambers, Level 2, City Hall at 1:00 PM

Agenda

Declarations of Interest:

Delegation(s):

Delegations to Committee of the Whole meeting must register, either in
writing, (fax 905-335-7675 or e-mail cityclerks@burlington.ca) or by
telephone 905-335-7600, ext. 7855 with the Clerks Department, no later than
noon on the day before a morning or afternoon meeting. Each delegation at
the committee meeting will be allowed a maximum of ten minutes to
present their support or opposition to the matter before the Standing
Committee. For expediency, groups or associations should appoint a
spokesperson to represent the views of the group.